The moments before
by shana2
Summary: well, here's probably the only L/J fic i'll ever write. for now, at least... R/R please!
1. At first you dont see

# [A/N Please R/R because I really want to know if this is any good. It's my first L/J past. Is it okay or not?]

# [Disclaimer!!! _All characters belong to the one, the only, _J.K.Rowling_!!! and _do not_ belong 2 me @ all, except for Rosalind and Jessica._]

* * * * * * * *

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

James looked Lily in the eye. She noticed a tiny twinkling as she stared back into his chocolate brown eyes. _Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no!_ she thought. _Not in front on my whole family!_

James lifted Lily's veil and grabbed her around the waist. He kissed her long and hard. Lily got lost in the kiss and dreamt of the life she would spend with James; the children they would have; the places they would go.

"Now, now, James!" Lily heard his best friend and best man Sirius say. James pulled out of the kiss and grinned wildly at Lily as everyone in the small country church laughed along with Sirius.

As Lily turned to face the crowed, she caught her mother's eye. Her mother gave a small smile. There were tears in her eyes. Lily's eyes started to water themselves as she watched her mother.

James offered Lily his arm and she slipped her hand through. She smiled at the crowd, which was made up of mostly James' and her friends and family. 

"Toss the bouquet!" teased Lily's friend Jessica.

"You want me to?" Lily replied.

"Yeah!" chorused all of Lily's friends, Muggle and Wizard, who had come.

"Toss it, Lily," James said from beside her. "At least now you don't have to worry about trying to catch it." 

"Oh shut up, James!" she replied pinching his arm and grinning evilly.

Slowly, she turned and tossed the bouquet. Then, she turned back around to see who had caught it. It was Rosaline, Lily's younger Muggle sister.

"Rose, Rosie; you caught it!" Lily screamed, losing all the calm she had held. "You'll be the next to wed!"

"Ooh, I'm so excited!" Rosaline squealed, glancing at one of James' friends and blushing.

"Girls," James and Sirius sighed.

* * * * * * * *

Lily and James were just outside their new house. It was a cute little country cottage out in Godric's Hollow, which was near London proper.

James opened his car door and got out. He went around to Lily's side and opened her door too, helping her out. Once she was completely out of the car, wedding dress and all, he lifted her off her feet and strode to the door of the house carrying her.

"Put me down, James Thomas Potter!" she ordered.

"You're not my mother, Lily," he answered, eyes twinkling again. Lily could have melted, she just loved those eyes and that hair, though it could never be tamed.

"Either way, I would like you to put me down, James."

"Oh, alright." He sighed and put her down in the living room.

"I didn't know the house was furnished!" Lily exclaimed, sitting in the blue denim loveseat and pulling out the white pillow that was behind her.

"I didn't either," James replied, slouching down next to her. "Mum and Dad bought everything down to the last brick. And we wouldn't have been able to get here without the car your mum and dad bought for us."

"Did they buy any clothes for us?" Lily asked.

"Who knows?" 

"Well, _I_ for one would like to get out of this dress."

"How 'bout we go check out the bedroom."

"Alright, then." Lily and James went to the bedroom and weren't surprised to see a closet full of clothes for each of them. After James grabbed some clothes and left the room to change, Lily got out of the wedding dress and hung it carefully in her closet. Then, she changed into shorts and a sleeveless (the mid-September heat was getting to her), clothes her mother would have probably forbidden had she still been at home.

After finding the bathroom and splashing her face, Lily made her way back to the living room. She sat back on the loveseat, curling her legs beneath her.

"You hot?" she asked, hugging a pillow in front of her.

"Yeah. I'll grab something for us to drink," James said, though he made no move to get up.

"Always thinking of your stomach, eh James? Has been that way since Hogwarts."

"No, I was actually getting nauseas from looking at your face."

"James!"

"A good kind of nauseas! I thought you were so pretty that I couldn't take my eyes off of you. You were in all my classes, always ate meals near me, always hung out in the common room with me; I'd swear I was obsessed with you."

"Keep going," Lily teased.

"Would you like me to?" James whispered, inching closer to Lily.

"Wouldn't mind," Lily breathed, just as James lips came across hers.

* * * * * * * *

"Are you sure you don't want to go see a doctor?" James asked as Lily came out of the bathroom after tossing her cookies yet again.

"I'm positive, James," she replied. "I've probably just caught that flu that was going around."

"From who? Your giggling buddies?"

Lily laughed, letting her hair fly over her shoulder. "Giggling buddies? Is that the best you can come up with, mister?"

"Unfortunately, it is. Listen, Lily," James said, "maybe you should go visit your mum. It's been months since you last saw her. And when was that? The wedding day itself?"

"Be quiet, James. You know we both went over to Mum and Dad's house after we came back from America."

"Ah, yes. Our honeymoon was a classic. Especially the hotel suite, eh?" He nudged her.

"Shut up, James." Lily blushed. "In any case, I guess I can go visit my Mum. Do I look okay?"

"Well, you've looked better…"

"I told you to be quiet. See you tonight!" She Apparated off to her parents' house.

* * * * * * * *

[**A/N** Would you like a guy to go nauseas over you? It'd make me feel like I'm ugly or something.   
And any comments about James's middle name: there's this kid in like five of my classes named tom potter (his middle name is 'J' something too!) so I just carried the name. We used to tease him about his brother Harry (he has no bro w/that name but you get the picture).   
Can you believe that at first I had all their living room furniture being leather. Ugh, their thighs would've stuck to the couch! Hmm, the word 'thighs' looks odd…must just be me.]


	2. Hearing the truth

# [A/N Please R/R because I really want to know if this is any good. It's my first L/J past. Is it okay or not?]

# [Disclaimer!!! _All characters and magical references belong to the one, the only, _J.K.Rowling_!!! and _do not_ belong 2 me @ all, except for Mrs. Evans and WZTV._]

* * * * * * * *

"Lily! How darling of you to come!"

"Hello Mum. Did I rush in on something important?" Lily asked, looking around.

"Sit down! Oh, no; you didn't interrupt anything. I'm just not that used to that magic stuff yet." Mrs. Evans chuckled to herself, arranging some fresh flowers in a vase next to her. "_Yet_."

"Mum?" Lily said, sitting on a lawn chair next to her mother. The view was of a spectacular garden Mr. Evans had created ten years ago. Spectacularly, there was no frost covering it and the temperature was quite warm for South Hamptonsburg, in south England. "Where's Dad? Usually he's working on that garden of his. You know, you should really see the house James and I are in; I started the cutest little garden and it has… Well, anyway; where _is_ Dad?"

"Hmm? Oh, you're father has gone to the bank to put some money in."

"Oh. Well." Lily looked around uncomfortably.

"What's wrong. You're quiet for the first time in your life! Would you like to talk? Wait a minute, what am I saying? Of course you'd like to talk! Right?"

"Well, yeah, Mum. But…oh, I might as well get right to the point. James told me to come talk to you. You see, I've been really sick. Bad flu, I think…er, hope. Lots of earling [A/N it's what they apparently call upchucking in Mississippi, I thought it sound weirdly English] but not much else. Do you know what I have, Mum?"

"Earling? Not much else? Hmm… Lily, darling, if I'm not much mistaken, you're pregnant."

"WHAT!" Lily shrieked, jumping up. Her mother sat her down and calmed her.

"Lily, Lily! Relax, darling. Why, you don't want the child?"

"Mum, how can I be thinking about that? I just found out that I'm pregnant, for heaven's sake. How'm I going to tell James?" She was once again up, pacing the lawn in front of her mother, running her hair through her fingers as she usually did when she was nervous or confused. In this case, she was both.

"You, know, darling; I'm surprised you didn't know you were pregnant. I'd say at least two months, anywhere up to five. I remember when I was pregnant with Rosalind, I didn't show until I was four or five months, I'd say…"

"Mother, this is no time for reminiscing!"

"I'm sorry, Lily. But I think what you're going to have to do is just call James right now. It might be easier with me here. It's your choice, though."

"Oh, Mum! I don't want to tell him but I have to. I guess I'll just call him. Where's the phone?"

"The phone? I thought you'd have something magical you could do."

"Oh, Mum; I don't feel like doing that. I'd have to look at him while I was talking. So, where's the phone?"

"On the kitchen counter, next to the gardenias."

Lily went in the house and over to where the phone was. She picked it up and dialed the Godric's Hollow code and her home phone number, [A/N how am I supposed to know how English phone numbers work?] waiting for James to pick up.

"Hello?"

"Oh, James! It's me. Come to Mum's house quick. I've got something to tell you."

"Can't you just tell me over the phone? I'm watching football [soccer] on my WZTV. [wizard television]"

"James!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming." He hung up.

Seconds later, he Apparated into the Evans' living room.

"Oh James!" Lily exclaimed, hugging him and holding him close.

"Women," he sighed, hugging her back. "So," he said, "what did you want to tell me?"

She stepped back for a moment. "Oh, yeah! It's just–well, I'm–you see–Mum? Some help?"

"James, she's pregnant."

"Well, I figured you were. Why d'you think I sent you to your Mum's?" he said to Lily.

"You-you knew?"

"No, I guessed."

"Well, either way, it's what Mum thinks. I really should go see a doctor or get a gynecologist."

"I'll call one tonight. We'll take our leave, Mrs. Evans. We'll see you."

"Good bye, James. And you should get someone with medical expertise, Lily. I'll see you out."

"No, it's okay. Bye."

James and Lily Apparated back to their cottage in Godric's Hollow.

* * * * * * * *

[**A/N** Why do James and Lily have a Muggle contraption like a phone in their house? Because Lily likes to chat with her buddies when James is out or when she is just bored.  
Yeah, I know this idea probably isn't original. And I'm pretty much a 13/y/old, so I don't know much bout pregnancy. Don't blame me!]


	3. The end of it all

"So I guess you'll be needing maternity clothes now, huh?" James teased, sitting in an armchair.

"Shut up, James," Lily replied, sitting on the loveseat.

"That's it?"

"Yeah. I'm a bit overwhelmed by the news Mum gave me."

"I'm not surprised."

"Well, I sort of am."

"Oh, well; in that case…"

There was a moment of silence.

"James," Lily said suddenly, "what do you want the baby to be named?"

"Named?" James asked as if he were astounded by the question. "Why should I be thinking about names?"

"Okay, okay. I guess it's a bit early."

"I'd say. Why don't I call a doctor right now?"

"Sure."

James went over to the phone in the kitchen and dialed their doctor. Lily stayed where she was.

"Hello? This is James Potter, is Dr. Luedke in?" After a moments pause, he continued. "Oh. Well, then tell him that I'd like to schedule an appointment for my wife, Lily." A short pause. "Yes." A longer pause. "You could probably arrange for him to come." Another pause. "That's a good time. Thank you." He hung up.

"Well, what did they say?"

"Dr. Luedke's receptionist guessed that you were pregnant, so she's arranging for you to meet with a gynecologist and Dr. Luedke tomorrow at two-thirty in the afternoon."

Lily sighed. "I hope it goes alright."

"I hope so too." He hugged her. "Look, you're already fat!"

"I told you to shut up, James Potter!"

"Okay, okay. I think I'm going to go to bed. You coming?"

"Sure."

They left the living room.

* * * * * * * *

James walked into the room. Lily was sitting in the bed with the new baby sleeping in her arms. She looked up and smiled at James.

"How's the mum?" James asked.

"Well," Lily replied, "seven months ago when I just found out, I would have been shocked. Today I'm just happy."

"That's good. Can I hold him?"

"I don't know, can you?"

"You know what I mean. May I?"

"Of course." She handed him the baby. "Have you decided on a name yet?"

"No. Do you have a list or something?"

"Actually, I do." She took a sheet of paper off the table next to her and handed it to James.

"Hey, you don't have 'Harry' on here!"

"Harry? Why, do you have a crazy cousin or uncle or friend named Harry?" she asked.

"No, I don't even know why I said it. I don't even _know_ anybody named Harry, but I like the sound of it."

"I like it too. Sort of has a ring to it: Harry Potter. Yup, they'll be talking about this one for a long time."

"How do you know? And you plan on having more?"

"I don't know; I just have a weird feeling." She shivered.

"I know what you mean. Here." He handed the baby back to Lily. "Bye, Harry," he said to the sleeping infant. "You'll be coming home with me and your mum tomorrow."

* * * * * * * *

visit http://www.geocities.com/shanarulz/piccy.jpg for a picture of the happy family. [courtesy of some banner ad, lol]


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